Monday, August 13, 2012

Collectors Stash: eS Footwear, Part 1

A man & his collection. Thanks again Mike K.

By now we could've given up the good fight & stop trying to track down any eS related gems but we're pretty screwed up in the head. Call it brand dedication or just plain old obsession but we just can't let eS' relevancy fade out so quickly. After 16 years in business, no one should forget a brand that made skate shoes specifically for skateboarders. With all the events that have passed, there really isn't any mystery as to why our beloved company went out of business but you can't help but wonder if eS could ever comeback today or even three years from now. The skateboard market is as saturated, commercialized & trending as ever and with those reasons alone, we've answered our own question.

This Collector Stash isn't just to showcase someones collection but their hard work. Since eS' untimely demise, we've been wondering more & more about those models that never came to see the light of day. Everyone was anticipating the SP '12 line because of its originality, the vast new models & most of all, because it appeared as though eS was back in contention. In this Collectors Stash, we met up with one of the many people who help make the SP '12 eS catalog look as appealing as it did. Mike Kubota is the project manager at Sole Tech & before moving onto work with Etnies, he was one of the genius brains behind eS. During our trip to California, we met up with Kubota & after innocently talking for a few he told us about his collection. Immediately, without hesitation, I obsessively began to beg. It wasn't a pretty scene, if it resembled anything, it'd be a pregnant mother with no sedatives after 12 hours in labor. Not only was it ugly for me to beg, his response practically gave me the same results while trying to deliver a baby, I shat myself. After cleaning myself up, Kubota graciously brought us to his home & here are the results of my begging.

3 comments:

I'd do just about anything for a pair of the Kellen James pro model in black. I've been on the lookout for any signs of those since the first glimpse I got in Transworld a while back. Is there any way I could get in touch with this guy or anyone who could help me find a pair?